Minister Darragh O’Brien and the government have been accused of ‘ tone deafness’ in relation to the firefighters’ dispute over the recruitment and retention crisis.
Firefighters in Donegal and nationwide are said to be “universally angry” by a statement on the dispute that Mr O’Brien made to the Dáil yesterday.
Minister O’Brien said he would champion firefighters in upcoming pay talks, but said that singling out fire service staff would ‘completely unravel’ the national public service pay policy.
Firefighters in the Dáil public gallery walked out as Minister Darragh O’Brien addressed a Sinn Fein motion on the issue.
Donegal Sinn Féin Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn called on the Minister to grant retained firefighters special conditions to ensure they are fairly paid and end ‘nonsense’ talk about the collective agreement
“I find it astonishing for anybody on one side of the negotiations to say that if they give the firefighters parity of treatment and dignity with all other public sector workers, they would be breaking a deal,” Deputy Mac Lochlainn said.
“Will the Minister name one public sector worker who will object to treating those firefighters properly?” he asked.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said the public sector pay policy was an arrangement from the 1950s.
He continued: “It is from back in the day when a mechanic or a farmer might have been asked to respond as a community service. This is 2023. People have to put a roof over their heads. They have to look after their families and deal with massive costs. We know all about the house prices and rent prices. We have taken the salt of the earth of our country for granted for far too long. These are people with civic pride. They are agonising about this strike because if a fire or a road traffic collision happens in their community, they know the people involved. It is absolutely agonising to force people like that to go on strike.”
A second day of work stoppages takes place today at Milford, Ballyshannon, Glencolmcille, Gweedore and Carndonagh fire stations.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan O’Brien, said: “Firefighters across the country are receiving overwhelming public support for their strike action. They are steadfast and resolute in the pursuit of their objectives and the Minister’s statement last night has strengthened their resolve to escalate their industrial action, as planned, if necessary.”
